The present invention relates to a tool for stripping semi-conductive jackets from electrical cable insulation, and in particular, to a tool which incorporated an adjustable cutter member for varying the depth of cut of the cable insulation jacket.
Wire or cable stripping devices have long been known in the art and comprise many different types. Exemplary among these types are the stripping devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,468,122 to Shepard, U.S. Pat. No. 2,398,979 to Vaughan, Jr. and French Patent No. 1337068. Of particular interest in connection with the present invention is the type of wire stripper disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,169,315 to Mankovitz. A version of this stripper is sold by the Ripley Company, assignee of the subject application, under the registered trademark Banana Peeler. This type of cable stripper utilizes a handle attached to a clamping plate for the cable which has a pair of perpendicular, intersecting channels stamped therein. A spring loaded cutter, above the point of intersection of the two channels, contains a cutting member for scoring the cable insulation jacket. In stripping the cable end, the cable is placed in the channel perpendicular to the axis of the tool. The tool and cutter member are rotated around the cable to score the jacket around its circumference. The cable is then placed in the channel parallel to the axis of the tool, and the tool is pulled so that the cutter member scores the jacket parallel to the axis of the cable from the circumferential cut to the end. This operation is then repeated several times around the circumference of the cable to produce parallel score lines. The ends of the rectangular strips formed by this operation are then lifted and peeled off the insulation (in the fashion of peeling a banana). It is imperative that the insulation not be cut during the stripping process as this will result in failure of the cable when energized.
Although cable strippers of the type similar to the Banana Peeler stripper described above generally perform well, there are drawbacks. These types of tools usually include only cutter members with specific depths of cut and, in order to accommodate cable with different sizes and different types of jacket, it is necessary to change the particular cutter member used. This usually entails time consuming efforts by the user between stripping cuts.
Bearing in mind the problems and deficiencies of the prior art, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cable scoring tool which permits easy selection of a particular depth of cut of the cable jacket.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cable stripping tool in which the depth of cut can be varied continuously to accommodate different size cables and cable jackets.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cable stripping tool which is of relatively simple design and easy to manufacture.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cable stripping tool meeting the aforementioned objects in which the cutting depth of the cutter member may be fixed if so desired.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a device which may be retrofitted on existing cable stripping devices which accomplishes the objects described above.